Different
by Ketchup27
Summary: Change is something that comes to people quickly, gradually, or not at all. Nobody would have thought that Seto Kaiba would ever change his ways. Neither did he. But, when Téa comes home from studying dance in America, she finds out that Kaiba seems different.
1. Chapter 1

'It feels like an eternity…'

Kaiba leaned back in his office chair and listened to the sound of rain outside his window. The city of Domino appeared before him underneath a bright orange sunset. A sigh escaped his lips as he reminisced what had happened almost two years ago.

He had done it, he was able to transcend time and see Atem. Kaiba could still remember the adrenaline that filled his being as he walked towards the Pharaoh's palace. But nothing compared to how he felt when he saw him in person. It felt as though time had stopped and Kaiba knew that it was worth it all.

Kaiba smiled wryly as he remembered how things went that day. It was not according to his original plan…

* * *

" _Hello Kaiba" Atem smirked as he crossed his arms over his linen covered chest._

" _Pharaoh." Kaiba replied curtly as his duel disk flashed._

 _Atem chuckled at the serious face Kaiba was making. It reminded him of his adventures with his friends of another time._

" _I see you haven't changed much, Kaiba."_

" _That's were you're wrong Pharaoh. I've become much stronger!"_

" _Hm." Atem walked down the steps of his throne as he made his way to his rival. "I don't doubt it, but it seems that there is something else different about you..."_

 _Finally relaxing his stance, Kaiba scoffed sarcastically, "I've gotten 3 inches taller if that's what you mean."_

 _Blinking in surprise, Atem looked at Kaiba's face that was stoic as ever, but something in his eyes seemed more…?_

" _Did you just make a joke?"_

" _Heh, I'm always a sarcastic and heartless bastard that doesn't take anything to heart. Or so I've heard."_

 _Atem couldn't help but chuckle, "Not always, but I don't think I've ever heard you joke about something other than the shortcomings of others…and mostly Joey."_

" _Hm, not as frequent. But when the opportunity comes who am I to pass it up?"_

 _Atem couldn't help but let out a laugh._

 _Kaiba felt strange talking to the Pharaoh. They were rivals and it was his destiny to duel him and win! However this conversation was very out of character, but at the same time it felt comfortable. It almost felt as though he was seeing a friend after a long time apart…_

 _Snapping out of his thoughts, Kaiba glared and got into his dueling stance._

" _Enough small talk! I came here to duel you Pharaoh, and I plan to beat you once and for all!"_

 _Expecting him to prepare for their duel, Kaiba was shocked to hear a heavy sigh escape his rival. Atem wore an exasperated expression as his head drooped sideways._

" _Honestly, I don't feel like dueling you Kaiba."_

" _WHAT?"_

 _Kaiba growled as he thought of all the things he went through to get here. And for what? To be turned down because he didn't 'feel' like it? Not a chance!_

" _COWARD! DUEL ME NOW PHAROAH!"_

 _Atem shot Kaiba a glare that befitted a ruler of Egypt. With confidence and authority he strode up to face Kaiba eye to eye. Icy blue met burning violet._

" _Listen here Kaiba." Atem spoke tersely, "You are in my world, in my palace, and in my kingdom. If I do not want to duel you, then it shall not be done. But let me explain why, because apparently it is lost on you!"_

 _Kaiba met his gaze evenly, but inside his blood boiled._

" _Kaiba, even as we speak you are fading away. Physically you will not last our battle, and I will not stand and watch this happen to you. I understand that you went through great lengths to come here, and for that I am grateful, but it is not worth dying for!"_

" _It is for me!" Kaiba snapped, "All I wanted was to duel you one last time and stop feeling like a failure! And if I die doing it, then so be it!"_

" _And what of Mokuba?"_

 _It felt as though ice ran across his body. His baby brother's face flashed in his mind and a sense of guilt hit his gut. He didn't even say goodbye…_

 _Atem's face softened at the conflict in Kaiba's eyes. "Kaiba, I know that you will be able to create something that will let you stay here safely, but don't rush things so recklessly. Mokuba needs you still, and you need to live your life."_

 _The look in Kaiba's eyes switched between uneasiness and stubbornness. Atem sighed and looked at his throne._

" _My life ended many years ago, but yours has barely begun." He turned back to face his rival, "Enjoy the time you have. Watch your brother grow, create amazing things for people, and dare I say it, maybe fall in love."_

 _Kaiba scoffed but a smirk made its way to his lips, "As if I have time for a woman."_

 _Atem grinned, "Prefer men do you?"_

" _No, and sorry but you're not my type."_

 _A small moment passes as a comfortable silence is shared between them. Kaiba knew it was certain that if they duel now he won't make it back home. He chuckled but rolled his eyes._

" _Did you talk my ear off on purpose to get me to leave?"_

 _Atem just smiled and said, "It's just nice to talk to an old friend."_

* * *

Seto Kaiba blinked as his cell phone interrupted his memories. Without looking at the caller I.D he pressed answer on the screen and held it to his ear.

"Kaiba."

"Se-TO!" Kaiba smirked when he heard his brother's voice crack. "Eh-ahem, just wanted to let you know I have the car pulled around."

"Thanks little brother. But are you ok? You sounded a little choked up…" He couldn't help but grin as Mokuba groaned in the receiver.

"You're so mean! I can't help it, these stupid hormones are making me sound so stupid."

"Hm. Just wait until you start liking someone romantically, then you'll **act** stupid too."

Mokuba huffed, "Laugh all you want, at least I'll get a girlfriend before you do!"

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"Just come get in the car, Seto."

 _Click_

Picking up his briefcase and straightening out his suit, Kaiba walked out of his office and into the elevator. On the way down his thoughts traveled back to his meeting with the pharaoh.

They didn't duel and although it was a hard pill to swallow, seeing the relieved look on Mokuba's face made it easier. It was odd after that, the feeling of revenge was still there but it seemed to fade over time. Kaiba did work on the dimension pod most days but, little by little, the importance of it dwindled away.

He and Mokuba created many things the past two years and the company even won a few humanitarian awards. But what made it strange was the involvement of the Geek Squad. Yugi and Joey had somehow weaseled their way into his company.

' _Ok, maybe weaseled isn't the right word…'_ Kaiba mused as he exited the elevator.

It was true that Yugi and Joey were involved with brainstorming and testing new ideas for the company, but it wasn't like Kaiba asked them to. It just kind of happened and Kaiba didn't care as much as he thought he would. They even formed some kind of weird acquaintanceship.

' _I must be getting too soft…'_

Kaiba walked out into the evening air and saw his brother waving from the window of the vehicle parked out front. Sliding into the limo, he was met with his sixteen-year-old brother. Mokuba's hair was still shoulder length and wild but he no longer stood even to Kaiba's stomach. Shooting up like a weed, he now stood at his big brother's shoulder and gained some handsome features.

"Ok big bro, are you ready for the party? Yugi said that we needed to be there early for the big surprise!"

"I suppose so, just as long as he doesn't try and make me play Pictionary like last time…"

' _Way too soft…'_

* * *

 **Hello Everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of 'Different'! I have more on the way but please let me know what you thought of it. Thanks for taking the time to read!**


	2. Chapter 2

The limo pulled up to the game shop that Yugi called home. This was probably the fifth time that the Kaiba brothers entered as guests in the past two years. It felt odd for Kaiba to think that he was welcome in someone's home.

' _Hmph, these dweebs are like friendship leeches…'_ he thought dryly.

"Come on Big Bro!" Mokuba called from the front door.

Sighing through his nose, Kaiba followed his brother into the shop. Inside it was warm and smelled like it was recently cleaned. Yugi's Grandpa was standing at the front desk of the shop and smiled as the brothers walked in.

"Hello boys! Everyone is upstairs if you would like to join them."

"Thanks Mr. Muto!" Mokuba grinned, while Kaiba gave a short nod.

It still felt wrong to be welcomed by Solomon Muto after what he did to the old man's beloved card. Although Mr. Muto forgave the eldest brother over a year ago for what he did, Kaiba still felt like he needed to repay him.

' _But the stubborn fool won't accept anything!'_ Kaiba thought in frustration.

As they headed upstairs, noises could be heard from the television room. It was surprising how large the rooms were in the game shop, despite its small exterior. Both brothers walked into the room where the party was being held and Kaiba saw that most of the Nerd Herd was there. Tristan and Duke were blowing up balloons on the couch, Bakura and Yugi were setting out snacks and drinks, and Joey struggled with hanging a banner that crudely read 'Welcome Home Téa!'

Ever since Téa went to study abroad two years ago she began to make a name for herself as a professional dancer. It was only recently that she was able to take a break from studying and make it home to visit. Kaiba himself hadn't heard much about the girl except from her friends on his rare visits with Mokuba.

While he never socialized with her much, there were a few instances that stood out to him during their adventures. His first memory of her was in Duelist Kingdom when he had tricked Yugi into losing their duel…

* * *

" _He spared you! Kaiba, he showed you compassion. Which is more than you deserve!" Her baby blue eyes blazed with anger as she looked at the young man before her._

 _He had scoffed, "He lost the game."_

" _The game?! Yugi may have lost one lousy duel monsters game, but at least he hasn't lost his heart! Not like you Seto Kaiba! You've spent so much time with your machines that you've forgot what being human is about!"_

 _The words struck a nerve and Kaiba found himself unable to deny that truth. Laying a hand over her chest she continued in a softer tone._

" _Yugi has a heart Kaiba. Yugi has us; friends that will stand with him till the end, no matter whether he wins or loses some lousy game. And what do you have Seto Kaiba? What do you have at the end of the day? Tell me. Tell me!"_

 _Gritting his teeth, he yelled back at her angrily, "I have all that I need!"_

* * *

Snapping out of his memories Kaiba took another look around the room and shook his head. His life has changed greatly ever since he met Yugi and his friends. At first he felt such hatred for them that he would rather die than spend his time around them. And now he's here, helping set up a welcome-home party for the dweebette.

He sighed, _'How the mighty have fallen'_

"Hey Rich Boy! Get off your pampered butt and help us, will ya?!"

Feeling his eye twitch, Kaiba walked over to where the blond haired man was still struggling with the banner. With his height he easily grabbed one end and pinned it above the doorframe.

Kaiba smirked when he saw the aggravated look on Joey's face,

"Maybe if you weren't a short little Chihuahua you could have done it yourself."

"Why you-!"

Yugi interrupted by running into the room from downstairs, smiling from ear to ear.

"Guys! Her taxi just pulled up, she's here!"

Everyone's faces lit up, Kaiba being the exception, and ran to hide in the room. Joey and Yugi scrambled behind the couch while Tristan and Bakura inched behind bookcases. Duke turned the lights off before he ducked under the table in the corner of the room.

"Seto! You gotta hide!" Mokuba whispered from his spot underneath the desk. Rolling his eyes Kaiba took a step towards his brother when the door opened and light pooled in. Being the only one in the open Kaiba was exposed immediately.

Squinting while his eyes adjusted, he was able to make out a silhouette of a woman in the doorway.

"Kaiba?"

She flicked the lights on and the room was visible once more. Once the lights came on everyone jumped from their hiding spot.

"SURPRISE!"

Téa smiled wide as she saw all of her friends. They all began to gather around to welcome her back. Kaiba took this moment to step away and quietly observe the young lady in front of him.

He remembered what she had looked like during his previous duel with Yugi. But now it seemed as though she grew up more since then. Her white teeth practically gleamed and it made her smile blinding. Although she kept the same short hairstyle as before, the brown locks seemed more shinny and soft. But what drew the most attention were her eyes. They were framed in thick eyelashes and sparkled with pure happiness.

' _Had they always been that blue?'_

"Did we scare you Téa?" Mokuba chirped, drawing Kaiba out of his observations.

' _Ugh. Get a grip.'_ Kaiba thought, cringing at the fact that he was so absorbed with her appearance.

Téa laughed and gave the younger Kaiba a hug, "Just a little bit. Although I must say, I was surprised to see your brother first."

She glanced at the elder brother and winked, "Does that make you my surprise?"

Mokuba's eyes widened and his jaw dropped a little.

Not knowing how to answer and feeling very uncomfortable, Kaiba cleared his throat and broke eye contact.

Everyone seemed shocked at such a bold statement from their friend. Duke scratched his cheek, Tristan seemed frozen, Joey looked ready to faint, Bakura smiled uncertainly, and Mokuba began to grin.

Yugi chuckled, "Téa, did you just flirt with Kaiba?"

Hearing the word 'flirt' sent heat to Kaiba's face. His body stiffened up and he was about to lash out in defense. It wasn't until he heard Téa laugh that he turned to glare at the woman.

"My bad guys, I think I became a little too comfortable in America. These things are not taken as seriously there. I didn't mean to make things weird!"

Joey sighed with relief, "Aw man, that scared me for a second. I thought you were putting the moves on Rich Boy. How scary would that be? But I might have to steal that line, it was pretty smooth!"

Téa shook her head and grinned, "Whatever you say Joey."

While the group chatted and ate Kaiba managed to find him a spot on the wall to lean on. No matter how many times Mokuba dragged him here to hang out with these dweebs he always felt out of place.

Kaiba crossed his arms, _'It didn't help that Gardner basically threw herself at me.'_

Ok, maybe that was an exaggeration. But it still made him feel uneasy about the whole conversation. It was true that he had 'mellowed out' over the years, according to Mokuba. But that didn't mean he was comfortable with the friendly banter. It also seemed that Téa gained quite a bit of confidence since she'd been gone.

He frowned and looked over at the girl in question. She was busy talking with most of her friends. Kaiba wondered if she knew of his gradual shift in attitude and how he had changed since they met last.

' _Probably,_ ' he thought simply, _"She wouldn't have had the guts to say that to me before.'_

"Hey Bro." Mokuba walked up and handed his brother a drink, "Having fun brooding in the corner?"

"Better than playing Pictionary."

Grinning, Mokuba took a sip from his cup. "Thanks for coming Seto. I'm glad we came to welcome Téa back home."

Kaiba hummed and took a sip as well.

"By the way…" Mokuba looked up at his brother, "That thing with Téa earlier...What was that all about?"

Glancing at her quickly, Kaiba shrugged, "You're guess is as good as mine. Maybe all that dancing shook her brain around."

"Don't be mean." Mokuba smirked, "Just because you were embarrassed…"

Kaiba scoffed, "As if. She was just making me uncomfortable."

Mokuba perked up at his words, "Oh yeah? How so?"

Kaiba felt himself wince at his own honesty; he didn't mean to share his true thoughts. He turned away from his brother's prying eyes he muttered, "Never mind, forget it."

As much as Mokuba wanted to pry he knew that his brother would shut himself off if he kept digging. Instead, he looked at Téa as she poured herself some more punch.

"She's pretty." He said simply.

Kaiba turned to look at the woman as well. He took in her face and noticed the small details that hid there. Her body was sculpted through dancing but her shoulders were too broad for her slim frame. She also had dimples in her cheeks when she smiled and her skin was not as free of blemishes as one would hope.

"She is, " Kaiba finally stated, "but she is not without imperfections."

Mokuba smiled at his brother, "I get a feeling that you don't mean it as an insult."

"No, I'm just being truthful. However, some of her imperfections can be rather…charming. Annoying, but charming to some degree."

"Backhanded compliment. Nice."

Kaiba smirked, "But a compliment nonetheless."

A female voice chimed in, "I'll take what I can get."

Both brothers spun their heads to see Téa approaching with a smile.

Mokuba smiled back but he could sense his brother's walls go back up. It seemed that Téa noticed as well because her smile faded slightly. Scratching her cheek nervously, she tried to start up some conversation.

"Um, so I don't believe that I officially said hello to you Kaiba. I was honestly surprised to hear about you willingly attending the party."

Kaiba didn't meet her gaze and replied stiffly, "Mokuba wanted to come."

"I…I see. Well, I'm glad you came too."

It was very silent for a few moments. Mokuba began to fidget uncomfortably and it got to the point were he needed to intervene. Hopefully it would be a safe topic.

"Have you heard of the new technology that Yugi and my brother are coming up with?"

Téa seemed happy for a topic change because she smiled at the younger brother.

"I've heard a little from Yugi. It's a new virtual system, right?"

"Not quite." Kaiba suddenly spoke up.

Mokuba silently cheered when Téa turned her attention to his brother. He was also happy that Seto was taking the lead in the conversation. It wasn't long before the three were politely discussing the breakthroughs that Kaiba Corp was discovering. However, Mokuba made an effort to resist talking too much. His brother didn't seem to mind much as he proudly explained the projects currently in progress.

Téa was honestly shocked at how much Kaiba was contributing to their discussion. Looking back on how she remembered him, he wasn't very keen on socializing with her or her friends. She had heard from Yugi that Kaiba was making a change for the better, but looking at him now she knew that Yugi was wrong.

' _He's not changing,'_ She smiled, _' he's learning how to be himself'._


	3. Chapter 3

She listened attentively as Kaiba described his work. Although he talked calmly, Téa caught the hint of excitement in his voice. It was actually nice to finally be able to have a somewhat friendly conversation. She couldn't help but notice the stiff posture the young man held as he spoke. Téa sighed because it was obvious that, although he was talking to her, he was nowhere near comfortable with this exchange.

Mokuba was proud that his brother was being so sociable for once. It was like seeing the old Seto, the one from when they were kids. Regardless of how cold he became once they were adopted, Mokuba was always able to see the real Seto that hid behind his walls. He was very happy to witness his brother making "friends" over the past two years.

' _He's come a long way!'_ Mokuba mused. It was then he noticed that Kaiba was completely avoiding eye contact while talking to Téa. He was also not letting her have any opportunity to contribute to the conversation. The young teen closed his eyes and sighed silently.

' _But he still has a ways to go…'_

"…We haven't done any test runs yet, but the code seems pretty solid so I don't expect many issues. Our testing should start soon and we hope to have the release by next year."

As he finished his explanation, Kaiba glanced over at the woman beside him. Her eyes met his warmly and she was smiling brightly. He swallowed and turned away; it still felt weird to be on such friendly terms with Yugi and his geek squad.

' _I wonder if it's too late to go back to being a selfish bastard?'_

"Do you guys want a refill?" Mokuba asked as he looked in his empty cup, "I'm all out. I can get some for you guys if you want."

"Sure! Thanks Mokuba." Téa chirped as she handed him her cup. Kaiba merely shook his head to decline.

"Ok, I'll be right BA-ck!"

Mokuba blushed heavily as his voice cracked once again. Téa blinked and tried really hard not to laugh. Kaiba, however, smirked and chuckled at his little brother's pink face. Embarrassed, Mokuba hurried over to the punch bowl to avoid the teasing from the pair of brunettes.

"Aw that's so cute. He's growing up so fast! I almost forgot that I've been away for so long." Téa giggled beside the elder Kaiba.

Kaiba hummed but made no attempt to keep the conversation alive. Téa smiled as she stepped in front of him to meet his gaze. Blue met blue as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"So, you think I'm charming?"

"I don't recall."

Téa smirked, "I heard you say that I was charming."

"I said your imperfections were **annoyingly** charming. Not you as a whole."

"Well," Téa averted her gaze to see Mokuba talking to Yugi, "I think you're charming, Kaiba."

Kaiba scoffed, "Since when is being a 'conceded jerk' charming? You need to work on your flattery."

She laughed lightly, "It's not flattery. You can be charming when you want to be. You weren't always a jerk, just the majority of our time together. And you've done great things for us too."

Kaiba frowned, "Hardly."

"Well, you did save my life."

Immediately the memories of that day in Battle City came back to him. Honesty, he was surprised that she remembered. He grimaced when he thought about Téa being held hostage under that crate, and what might have happened if he didn't save her.

"Hmm, you still owe me a helicopter. I hope you have a hundred thousand on you."

Téa's eyes went wide, "HUH? But, I don't-!"

Kaiba gave her a blank look, "I was joking."

Téa felt like the wind was knocked out of her. She sighed and shook her head,

"You need to work on your jokes…"

All of a sudden a ringing came from Kaiba's pocket. Reaching in to grab his phone, Kaiba answered without checking the caller I.D.

"Kaiba." He answered curtly.

 **"Hello Mr. Kaiba. I'm sorry to interrupt like this but it seems we have an issue at Kaiba Corp that needs your attention."**

Kaiba frowned and asked sharply, "What _issue_? I expected things to run smoothly while I was gone for an hour!"

 **"Ah! I apologize Sir! It's a program malfunction and the code workers are unsure-"**

"I don't pay them to be ' _unsure_ '! I'll be there shortly and if it's something so obviously simple I will be firing every person involved. Is that clear?"

 **"Y-yes Sir…"**

Téa frowned as he put the phone back into his pocket, "Duty calls?"

Kaiba clicked his tongue, "Tch, those idiots can't handle their own job and now I'm cleaning up the mess they made."

"So you're leaving, I assume? Mokuba too?"

"Yes." He answered simply.

Kaiba should have been happy to have an excuse to leave this weird little party. He could already see the other dweebs busting out the board games. Still, he felt an odd sense of disappointment about leaving. He shook it off, it's not like he was having the time of his life.

' _But,"_ he glanced at Téa out of the corner of his eye, _"it wasn't all that bad."_

It seemed as though Mokuba finally remembered to return to his brother and Téa. He grinned sheepishly as he gave the young woman her new cup of punch.

"Sorry for taking so long, Yugi was telling me about his new idea for a project!"

Kaiba sighed, "You'll have to tell me in the car, we have to go."

"What! Why?" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Your brother got a call and something went wrong at Kaiba Corp." Téa explained as the young boy crossed his arms. Mokuba's eyes narrowed in an eerily similar way to his brother.

"Those idiots! Can't even do their own job…"

Téa blinked at the harsh tone the boy in front of her was using. The cold look began to melt away and Mokuba sighed sadly.

"Sorry Téa, we were going to stay longer…"

She waved it off, "Ah, don't worry about it. I'm not leaving anytime soon; we have plenty of time to catch up! Here, I'll even walk you guys out."

Kaiba was about to protest but his brother and Téa had already left for the door. Sighing, he followed them down the stairs while sending a quick text to his driver to have the limo ready.

Once they arrived outside the shop Mokuba gave Téa a hug before running and hopping in the car. Standing at the doorway, Kaiba nodded before beginning to head to the car as well. Before he could enter the limo Téa called out to him.

"Wait, Kaiba!"

Turning back around he merely raised an eyebrow. Those ridiculously bright blue eyes met his and a smile graced her face.

"Do you have a pen?" she asked.

Kaiba frowned, "I don't have time for thi-"

"Please?"

Sighing, he reached into his dark gray blazer and pulled out her request. She happily took it and reached for his hand. Taken aback, he pulled away.

"What do you think you're doing?"

She blinked innocently, "I'm writing down my number. Now hold still…"

He stared uncertainly while she scribbled on his hand. Finishing quickly she handed back his pen, which he took hesitantly. Looking at the ink on his palm he wondered why in the world she had given it to him. Téa seemed to notice his discomfort because she gave an explanation.

"Just give me a call or shoot me a text if you guys wanted to grab dinner or something. We can catch up that way."

Kaiba stared at her for a while before asking, "Is this some weird American thing?"

Téa laughed, "No, this is a normal thing."

"Whatever." Kaiba muttered as he began to slide into his car.

She turned to walk back inside the game shop but before she closed the door she heard Mokuba shout from outside.

"WOAH! YOU TOTALLY SCORED HER DIGITS!"

"MOKUBA!' She heard Kaiba yell sharply.

Téa couldn't help but laugh and shake her head before heading back upstairs to the party.


	4. Chapter 4

The situation at Kaiba Corp. turned out to be an outside hacker trying to destroy the coding in the mainframe. It took Kaiba an hour to fix the coding and send a nasty virus back to the hacker's computer before blocking them out of the system. Thankfully, the issue was an urgent problem and no employees were fired for the day.

Kaiba sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache beginning to form in his temples and it was clear that it was about to turn into a migraine. Mokuba looked tired from the way he kept rubbing his eyes. Glancing at his watch Kaiba was surprised to find that it was way past midnight.

The two brothers slid into the limo to be driven back home. It was a long day and Kaiba was ready to pass out on his bed. Mokuba yawned and leaned against his brother's shoulder. With his eyes closed and a tired smile on his face, Mokuba asked,

"So, are you going to call her?"

Blinking Kaiba looked at the teen with a raised eyebrow. Who was it he needed to call? He didn't have any meetings tomorrow and his schedule was relatively clear. There weren't any recent business deals he needed to confirm either.

"What are you talking about?"

Mokuba opened one of his eyes, "I'm talking about Téa. Are you going to call her?"

Honestly he had forgotten all about the number written on his palm, but now it felt like it was burning his flesh. Looking down at his hand he saw the smeared ink of her name and the tiny smiling face she drew at the end.

The thought of calling her made him swallow thickly. Every brain cell screamed in protest. They weren't close by any means and it took two years for him to tolerate her friends. She was also a woman, something he tried to avoid.

"I don't think so."

This seemed to wake the younger brother.

Mokuba shot up and looked disappointedly at his older sibling, "Why not? She's really nice and pretty!"

"I don't know anything about her." Kaiba retorted.

"That's why you call and **get** to know her."

"What if I don't **want** to get to know her?"

Mokuba sighed and leaned back in his seat. This was not going to work; attacking from the front was only going to cause him to tighten his defense. He needed to arrange this carefully…

"So what was her number anyway?"

Without looking at his hand Kaiba listed the number without any trouble. Mokuba gawked in surprise but it quickly turned into a grin.

"Wow." The younger boy laughed, "Memorized it already? You must have been thinking about it all~ day."

Kaiba frowned, "You forget, dear brother, that my memory is impeccable. And you know just as well as I do that numbers are the easiest to remember."

Mokuba shrugged and leaned back into his brother's side. He was tired and it was obvious that things were not going to progress any tonight. Téa was probably asleep anyway. The young boy sighed and snuggled into Seto's expensive grey blazer.

"Whatever you say big bro…"

Kaiba watched as his brother drifted off with calm, slow breaths. A small smile danced across his lips. His little brother was growing up so fast, just as Téa had said. His thoughts drifted back to the woman he saw earlier today as his eyes closed to rest until they arrived home.

* * *

Téa lay in her bed with her mind racing of today's events. It was so odd to see everyone after two years of separation. Although she knew her friends were planning to throw some kind of party for her, never would she have guessed that the Kaiba brothers would be there.

'Especially Seto Kaiba…' Téa sighed and rolled over to look at her clock.

1:40.a.m

When she walked through the door to the party it was a huge surprise to see him standing in the room. Yugi had told her that Kaiba had changed over the past two years. But the fact that he was there to welcome her back was unbelievable.

A sigh escaped her as she thought about her encounter with Kaiba. His demeanor was no longer as threatening as it once was. Those blue eyes of his were no longer frozen with hatred and revenge.

However, his people skills could still use some work. The look on his face when she wrote her name on his hand made her giggle.

'I wonder if he'll actually try to contact me?' her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep with one final thought.

'I doubt it…'

* * *

Kaiba sighed as he typed out his analysis of the recent testing results. It seemed as though the new project only had minor bugs and code errors that needed to be cleaned up. This meant that the team was ahead of schedule in terms of the release date.

Leaning back in his chair Kaiba couldn't help but feel lighter. Things were going very well and his schedule had cleared up thanks to the positive outcome of the testing. His blue eyes glanced at his phone to read the time.

6:45.a.m

'I wonder if she's awake…'

Kaiba shook his head as the image of the brunette flashed across his mind's eye.

"As if." He muttered.

But despite his words, blue eyes kept darting back to the phone.

* * *

Téa took a sip out her water bottle as she stepped out of the gym. Her early morning workout always left her feeling tired but oddly rejuvenated. Wiping the sweat from her forehead she began to walk to a nearby coffee shop. Once she entered the building the smell made her stomach growl.

After ordering a tea and some breakfast she sat down at a table by the window. Just as she was taking a drink of her tea she heard her phone give out a notification. Glancing at the screen she almost choked on her drink at what she saw.

'Are you free for lunch? – Kaiba'

Blinking and rereading the message several times, Téa gaped at the text. Was this real? There's no way that Kaiba actually used her phone number! Swallowing hard, Téa typed out her response. She could feel her stomach jump and her cheeks redden.

'Sure. When and where? :) '

As soon as she pressed sent, heat roared in her ears. Running a hand through her hair she sighed heavily.

' _Did I sound too eager? Oh no, why did I put a smiley face?! He's going to think I'm so lame…'_

Despite knowing Kaiba for years, the idea of actually having a conversation with him felt so weird. He was always very handsome but Téa never went after just looks. With that said, she did appreciate beauty and Seto Kaiba was just that. His attitude however…

A ping interrupted her thoughts and she was almost afraid to look at the message. Taking a deep breath she glanced at the phone and slowly smiled at the reply.

'Meet me at the restaurant called Narisawa at 12.'

"Narisawa, hmmm…" Téa mumbled as she entered the name into her GPS. The restaurant didn't sound familiar.

When she finally found the restaurant on her phone she clicked the link to the website. A gasp came out of her throat at the sight of the page. The interior was gorgeous and the food looked so classy. Glancing at the prices her eyes widened.

"250 dollars for lunch?!"

Kaiba fought the urge to send her an excuse to cancel their lunch. Regret flooded his mind as he continued to type on his computer.

How was he going to tell Mokuba?

…

 _ **Was**_ he going to tell Mokuba?

"Ridiculous." Kaiba shook his head; "Of course I am. I'm not going to this lunch by myself!"

However the thought of his brother's teasing made him dread it. Sighing he dialed Mokuba's cell on his office phone. After a few rings that seemed to last for ages, Mokuba's face popped up on the small screen.

"Big Brother? What's wrong? I was in the middle of a math test."

Kaiba felt a twinge of pride when he saw Mokuba in his school uniform. His little brother had told him that he wanted to be a part of a normal school. Kaiba had wanted the same experience once. At least he did until his company demanded too much time. The blue uniform of Domino High School looked good on his little brother.

"Sorry kid. Nothings wrong, but I'll be picking you up around lunchtime."

Mokuba furrowed his eyebrows, "Really? What's the occasion, did you finally fire that idiot in finance?"

Kaiba scoffed, "I did actually, but that's not the reason."

Mokuba laughed and replied in a teasing tone, "If I didn't know you better I would say you finally asked Téa out and you needed me for emotional support!"

The elder Kaiba froze as his little brother unknowingly hit the nail on the head. His mind raced for an excuse but could find nothing.

"But that would be crazy, right bro?"

"…"

"Bro?"

"…"

"OH MY GOSH! SETO DID YOU-!"

"I'll pick you up in an hour." Kaiba quickly hung up.

He shook his head as his face burned.

' _This was a huge mistake.'_


	5. Chapter 5

Mokuba let out a long yawn and stretched his arms above his head as he walked out of his language class. The hallways were cluttered with students as they made their way to get lunch. Mokuba walked down the hall to put his things into his locker before heading outside. On his way he had to ignore some flirtatious glances and giggles from some girls in his grade.

Sighing, Mokuba put his books away and closed the door with a slam. It wasn't like he didn't like girls, but the ones that hung on him made his days very troublesome. The young boy knew from watching his brother that many of those girls were only after his looks and his money.

'Oh well', Mokuba thought as he continued his walk to the shoe lockers. 'Maybe I'll find me a "Téa" one day.'

Grinning, the boy thought of the lunch he would soon be attending. It was all he could think about after the call he got this morning and now it was finally time. The thought of his brother asking Téa out to lunch sent a giddy feeling through his chest.

Honestly he was shocked about the whole situation but the thought of his brother reaching out was great news. And despite the crap he gives his brother, Mokuba wouldn't mind if Seto and Téa were just friends.

"But if they dated that would be a plus." Mokuba hummed as he switched out his shoes.

Squinting at the brightness of the sun, Mokuba stepped outside into the courtyard to wait for his ride. It wasn't until he almost reached the gate that his brother pulled up in a red Ferrari. The teen quickly ran and jumped in, silently admiring the leather interior.

"Hey Bro, did you have a good morning?"

Kaiba scoffed, "It was, until one of my secretaries tried to make unwanted advances on me. Remind me to send out an announcement that her position is now open."

"Again?" Mokuba sighed dramatically, "Why were you cursed to be the object of every girls fantasy? You must be doomed to be eye candy for all the women of the world!"

The elder brother smirked as he drove out of the school entrance, "Curse indeed. But it's more likely that the multi-million dollar company I own has more to do with the attention. My looks are hardly extraordinary."

Studying his brother's face, Mokuba had to disagree. While his brother wasn't perfect, there were aspects of Seto's face that even he was jealous of.

For instance, his brother's hair was soft and seemed to fall in all the right places. Compared to his mop it was something to envy. Thankfully both brothers inherited clear skin, but occasionally Mokuba would have small breakouts here and there. However, he couldn't remember ever seeing Seto with a pimple on his face.

' _Must be nice…'_ Mokuba sighed.

Kaiba interrupted his little brother's thoughts, "By the way, sorry about your test. Did you still do well on it?"

Smiling, Mokuba preened, "Yeah, I totally aced it! I was actually on the last question when you called and I was just about to circle the answer."

A proud smile crossed Kaiba's face, "Great, I was worried."

"It's ok, I know you needed me for emotional support because of your **date** ~!" Mokuba grinned.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba huffed, "It's not a date, we're just eating."

The car took an exit and entered the main city of Domino. Restaurants, clubs, and shopping areas littered the sides of the street and flashed by in a blur. Mokuba barely paid them any mind.

"But what if Téa thinks it's a date? She could be all excited!"

"I doubt it." Kaiba scoffed, "We're both adults, not hormonal teenagers like yourself."

"How rude. Well I know how to tell if it is or not!"

The elder brother raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? And how might that be?"

Smirking triumphantly, Mokuba shared his secret.

"If she has on a dress, then it's a date!"

* * *

Téa smoothed down her dress as she waited for the brothers to show up.

She felt nervous and completely out of place at such a fancy restaurant. It seemed like everyone in the lobby was staring at her with sympathy or disgust. Téa knew this wasn't where she fit in.

Tugging at the hem of her dress she began to have second thoughts about her outfit. She had wanted to look nice since the location was upper class. But the teal formfitting body-con dress she wore wasn't as extravagant as the other clothes she saw. The V-neck on her dress was a little lower than what she would normally wear but it didn't have any embellishments to make it stand out. And her simple silver pendant looked dull compared to the diamonds on the women she seen passing by.

' _I must look homely to these people.'_ Téa thought sadly.

With her confidence dropping rapidly she was close to cancelling and just going home. Shaking her head she decided to go the bathroom in order to compose herself. As she walked through the door she missed a red Ferrari pulling up out front.

* * *

"That's ridiculous." Kaiba stated as he opened his car door.

"It's true! I heard it from my friend in History class!"

"Wow. Solid information."

Kaiba handed his keys to the valet attendant and strode confidently to the entrance. Mokuba followed his brother up the steps of the restaurant. Despite the place practically screaming 'money', the food was really tasty and the young man could hear his stomach growling.

Once they entered the front doors everyone went silent in awe. This was a typical situation for the two brothers and it didn't bother them at all. The brothers ignored the looks and scanned the room for Téa. After not seeing her waiting for them Kaiba walked up to the hostess and stated his name for the reservation.

"Good day Mr. Kaiba." The hostess stated smoothly, "Thank you for eating with us today. Will it just be you and your brother this afternoon?"

"No, a young lady is joining us. Téa Gardner, she's a brunette with blue eyes and a small frame."

"She's probably wearing a dress!" Mokuba piped in cheekily.

Kaiba sent a quick glare to his brother before turning back to the hostess, "If you see someone with that description you will escort her to our table."

The woman nodded, "Yes Mr. Kai-"

"Hey guys!" A bright voice interrupted.

Turning around both brothers were surprised to see Téa behind them. The Kaiba's couldn't help but notice how refreshingly simple she looked. Compared to the gaudy jewels that they see speckled on everything, the clean look that Téa adorned was beautiful.

Kaiba felt heat rise to his neck as he realized that Téa was indeed wearing a dress. A very snug dress that dipped quite low in the front. He didn't dare look at his brother's teasing grin.

' _There's no way that this is a date. It's absurd.'_

"Téa! You look fantastic! I'm so glad you decided to come eat with us." Mokuba chirped.

"Thanks Mokuba." Téa smiled lightly, "Although I feel a little underdressed."

Kaiba sighed and rolled his eyes, "Hardly. We're eating lunch, not attending the Oscars."

Téa felt a wave of relief wash over her. Those words made all of her stress disappear and a smile brightened her face. It was then that she noticed the brother's own choice of clothing. Mokuba had on a very familiar blue school uniform and although Kaiba wore a suit it was very clean cut and sleek. She took a moment to appreciate how his dark grey suit jacket fit snug across his broad chest and how the dark blue tie made his eyes even more intense.

The hostess cleared her throat, snapping Téa out of her gaze. A pink flush rose to her cheeks from her thoughts.

"If you'll follow me I'll take you to your table."

As they walked through the restaurant Téa couldn't help but gawk at all of the decorations in the interior. The dinning area was beautiful and the smell of the food was amazing. All of the people at the tables immediately recognized the Kaiba brothers. Whispers filled the air and Téa couldn't help but hear a few directed towards her.

" _Who is that girl? She's hardly anything to look at…"_

" _Look at her dress…she must be trying to seduce Seto Kaiba…"  
_

" _She's scrawny to say the least! And her dress is so plain, doesn't do her any favors."_

Téa felt tears form in her eyes as she heard the harsh words from people she didn't even know. Taking a deep breath she willed the tears away, she was no stranger to critique! Dancing was tougher than this and she would not let them get to her. Holding her head up high she flashed a smile at a group of older women.

"Ladies I hate to tell you this, but you can't whisper. If you have something to say about me then say it to my face."

All of their faces turned red and the woman sitting in the middle puffed up with rage. But before she could retaliate a tall shadow loomed over the table. Téa blinked when she noticed Seto Kaiba glaring daggers at the women.

"Better yet." Kaiba said icily, " Mind your own business and keep your jealousy in check. Come on, Gardner. Lions do not bother themselves over the opinions of dumb sheep."

Téa couldn't help but chuckle when she saw their jaws drop. She followed the brothers to a room in the back. Natural light poured across the table that was set for three people. Sliding into her seat, she watched the Kaiba's do the same.

Kaiba glanced at the menu for a brief second. It was a restaurant that he and his brother visited a handful of times and he already knew his favorites. Mokuba also seemed to be excited for his meal based on how he was already skimming the desert selection. Téa was obviously having more trouble; her eyebrows were creased and she was desperately scanning the menu.

Téa frowned as she saw that the menu listed many foods but no prices. She glanced up across the table and noticed that Kaiba was looking at her with a blank expression. Swallowing her pride she cleared her throat.

"So...um, do you know the prices? I don't see them on the menu."

Raising an eyebrow Kaiba smirked, "I think you mean _price_. You'll be getting eight courses at this restaurant."

Téa felt her stomach drop; her fifty dollars in her wallet would not cover an eight-course meal.

"I see. Uh, is there any way I could just get one of the courses?"

Mokuba looked up from his menu and blinked, "Why? Are you on a diet or something?"

Téa sighed and looked down at her lap, "No. I just don't think I'll be able to pay for it."

Kaiba scoffed, "Who said you were paying?"

Téa's head shot over to look disbelievingly at Kaiba. It's true that he has the money to probably buy out the whole restaurant but she wasn't about to assume that he was paying for her meal. But he seemed serious enough about the whole ordeal.

"Kaiba you really don't have to-"

"Whatever." He interrupted, "If you have the money to pay for this then be my guest, but I'm certain you don't. In case you forgot, I'm not hurting for money."

"But why? Why would you do that?" Téa searched his face for answers but was met with a cool stare.

"I did invite you. Believe it or not I have some class."

She looked down and smiled, "I…don't really know what to say. Thank you Kaiba."

Kaiba crossed his arms and smirked, "It's not worth thanking me over. Just enjoy my temporary insanity while it lasts."

Laughing, Mokuba patted Téa on the back, "Don't let him fool you. Big Bro is a gentleman, he wouldn't let his date pay!"

A blush spotted Téa's cheeks as she looked at the teen with wide eyes, "Date?"

Groaning internally, Kaiba glared at his brother.

' _Mokuba I'm going to disown you…'_


End file.
